#7 Wiki Week!

I'm actually quite a fan of "Wikipedia" -- often find more information here than elsewhere -- especially on obscure (historical) topics. I love it's layout -- it is clear and easy to navigate with links to everything, so always a great adventure to be had! Am concerned about its "authoritativeness" but use it in conjunction with other sources where possible.

There are several uses for Wiki's in the work environment. I love the ideas of using them for "subject guides", book reviews or catalogue annotations and as an online community directory. Great how anybody can add links/comments and "prune" out of date/dead links.

I didn't know that access can be restricted (I thought this contradictory to a Wiki) but can see there might be instances when this is useful.

Had a look at the three examples.

1. St. Joseph's. Edited by library staff. Loved the Subject guides -- like what we used to call Pathfinders but oh so much more! -- with book reviews, databases and internet sites and clubs listed (if relevant). And loved how the book etc links took you straight into the catalogue! Very impressive.

2. Princeton Public Library Booklovers Wiki. This was also great with book reviews and author information -- also "enotes"/study guides. Very impressive also! PS Great to see this technology hasn't forgotten about "Books"!

3. Library best practice. A great source of information for staff covering every (?) conceivable topic!

4. Examples for libraries. Fun to explore and see how they could be applied.

#6 Week Number Six

Another rushed week of Learning 2! Three tasks:

1) Tagging.
Had a look at Del.icio.us/ and set up an account. These could be useful -- but I think there will always be a management issue with Favourites/Bookmarks -- organising and keeping them up to date etc. Not sure why you'd want the "home" and "work" ones the same -- we do different things at work than home.

2) Technorati
Creating tags for Blogs. "Learning 2" had heaps more hits in Posts than Blogs (but this is because numerous Posts make up a Blog). Didn't find the Top Blogs and searches very interesting.

3) Library 2 and Web 2.
What does it mean to you? -- two words: "the future!" Read two articles.
"Away from the Icebergs"-- nothing that new here! Public libraries don't have "just in case collections" (space and budgets) -- more an academic library issue perhaps but I do believe academic libraries should be repositories for authoritative "knowledge". This is a core function of libraries. User education will always have some role -- people have different skills and learning abilities but it is essential that barriers to use are eliminated. I'm not convinced that we're in a "post-print" environment -- print is still here, we still do have books! and the PCs all have "printers" -- it's just that it now operates in conjunction with an online environment which is wonderful. For example, historical material is available online (but I do print it off!) Need to remember that not everybody has access cyberspace -- it's not quite as accessible and as egalitarian as some people would like to think!
"Into a new world of Librarianship" Good points -- i.e. don't create policies and procedures that impede access (though some items in some libraries need to be preserved -- making them available online is good access for rare/fragile material). No place for "Techno-Worship" but need to embrace users who use the Web 2 tools.